MANILA -- Hours after announcing that it has reopened select branches in the Philippines for drive-thru, Starbucks paused operations once again.

The coffee chain cited the "overwhelming reception" from customers in a statement posted on its Facebook page on Thursday.

"Due to the overwhelming reception, we have decided to once again pause operations for all the currently opened drive-thru stores to support the government's enhanced community quarantine protocols," said Starbucks, which first reopened select stores in Metro Manila on Wednesday.

"We will always put the health and safety of our partners (employees) and customers as our top priority," it added. "We apologize for the inconvenience. Thank you for your continued support and understanding."

Starbucks closed all of its Philippine stores in late March amid quarantines imposed across the country due to the novel coronavirus.

Rustan Coffee Corp., which owns the Starbucks franchise in the Philippines, assured the public that its employees are cared for despite the store closures.